 Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my presentation was delayed slightly because of climate change. What happened there is because of climate change. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for the climate change bill, especially as one who interacts with matters of climate diplomacy. Mr. Speaker, the United Nations states on its website that climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural due to changes in the sun's activity or large volcanic eruptions. We have ever know, Mr. Speaker, despite the naysayers and the climate deniers, that since the 1800s human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the period 2011 to 2020 was the warmest on record, and each of the last four decades have been warmer than any previous period since 1850. Mr. Speaker, the average temperature of the Earth's surface is about 1.1 degree hotter than in the last 1800s, in the late 1800s, the period preceding the Industrial Revolution. In fact, based on data up to October last year, it is estimated to be the hottest on record and is currently 1.43 degrees hotter than the pre-industrial period according to Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of CCCS. Mr. Speaker, on the face of it, these increases in temperature may not sound significant, but Mr. Speaker, the effects of these increases in temperature include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, and of course, catastrophic rising sea levels, melting polar ice, and decline in biodiversity. Mr. Speaker, so serious is climate change that it has been called an existential threat as it represents a threat to many species and to human society as we know it. According to Kiran Setair, Professor at MIT, if humans do nothing to slow climate change, global temperatures may increase by 4.5 degrees by the year 2100. This indeed be a disaster, Mr. Speaker. Planet Earth has not been that warm in millions of years and such temperature spikes in our planet's history are connected to mass extinctions, extinction events that killed off a large percentage of species that existed at the time. These threats, Mr. Speaker, are going to be greatest for people living in coastal communities, coastal cities, and island nations. So, Mr. Speaker, St. Lucia, like other small island developing states, are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to rising sea levels, intense storms, and droughts. It is extremely unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that while our small island developing states emit very small amounts of greenhouse gases, we are the countries that face the worst consequences of climate change, with some of us literally at risk of our very own existence. In St. Lucia's case, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that we emit 0.0015 percent of global emissions in 2016. The source for this, Mr. Speaker, is our updated nationally determined contributions to the United Nations framework on climate change convention in 2021. In contrast, the largest emitters of greenhouse gases are China, the United States, Europe, India, and Russia. The emission of greenhouse gases has not been treated as a cost, and therefore, Mr. Speaker, those countries and companies responsible for greenhouse gas emissions do not treat the cost of mitigating these emissions within their own cost. This, Mr. Speaker, is a classic case of market failure and an example of what economies call a negative externality. The importance of climate change and the consequences of climate change have been elevated as the most important issue to our global multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the IMF. The bill before this house, Mr. Speaker, is indicative of the level of seriousness that St. Lucia places on climate change. We, like other seeds, Mr. Speaker, have the most to lose for activities that we are not responsible for. This further highlights the importance of cooperation and collaboration at the global level, as we all share, Mr. Speaker, an interest in protecting the planet that we all share. This bill, Mr. Speaker, puts into the law the agreements arrived at by the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, and of course, the other protocols, Mr. Speaker, on climate change. This bill, Mr. Speaker, clearly establishes the institutional framework for climate change in the government. In particular, recognizes the minister responsible for sustainable development as the minister for climate change and establishes a climate change committee, which serves as a technical advisory body and whose functions are listed in section 12-2 of the bill. The passage of the bill, Mr. Speaker, is indeed coming at a critical time, coming on the heels of the 28th Conference of Parties, or COP 28. It is clear, Mr. Speaker, the developing countries must collectively advocate for compensation from the effects of climate change, as we are incurring huge cost in dealing with climate change, which is likely to exacerbate in the future. It is also important, Mr. Speaker, that our countries continue to advocate that our temperature does not rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius as enshrined in Article 4 of the Paris Agreement. This requires, Mr. Speaker, for all countries to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and to move towards renewable energy sources. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Speaker, it is now an open secret in climate circles that achieving 1.5 degrees Celsius is no longer achievable. While this target remains the official target set in 2015 by the Paris Agreement, the major emitters have not exhibited the political will to undertake the necessary reforms to achieve this target. Global coal consumption climb to an oil hide in 2022, and Chevron and Exxon Mobil have invested a combined amount of $113 billion in securing additional oil and gas reserves, in effect anticipating that demand for fossil fuel will remain buoyant. It has become evident that we are heading towards global temperatures of at least two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In fact, the International Energy Agency estimates that based on current policies, global temperatures will rise by at least 2.4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This, Mr. Speaker, is stark and gloomy news for countries like St. Lucia. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that a future beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will look very different from our own current situation. At two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, it is estimated that around 40% of the world's population will be exposed to severe heat waves while 1.3 will experience chronic water scarcity. The human cost, Mr. Speaker, in terms of displacement, lost livelihoods and early deaths will be unprecedented with vulnerable communities largely in power countries bearing the heaviest burden. Mr. Speaker, we are one of those countries. It is therefore important that we develop the proper institutional structure to ensure that we can measure these impacts and to make vociferous representation at the global multilateral theaters to advocate for our own very survival by way of receiving adequate compensation through loss and damage and for climate adaptation. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides the platform for ensuring that we develop the institutional capacity for putting in place the necessary mechanisms to advocate for climate justice, develop and implement projects to ensure that we can protect our people and the necessary resources vital to our survival. This is indeed a very serious matter, Mr. Speaker, and it represents an existential crisis to St. Lucia and its people. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that St. Lucia has prepared a 10-year national adaptation plan for the period and sectoral adaptation strategies and action plans as well as national adaptation policies. These plans and policies will be given greater importance as they will be recognized in law, Mr. Speaker. So why is I paying that picture? A very serious one indeed, Mr. Speaker. This government is responding by putting the necessary legislation in place to respond to this global threat. Mr. Speaker, this issue of climate finance is particularly important for St. Lucia. And while the minister and his team will be advocating for more finance, for mitigation and adaptation activities, it is important that we have the institutional framework to ensure that we can effectively engage in dialogue with the multilateral agencies, including the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and now the Loss and Damage Fund, which was approved at COP 27. And seen as a major breakthrough for developing countries as it provides for loss and damage funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. This act, Mr. Speaker, provides for putting in mechanisms for loss and damage. I must say at this point, Mr. Speaker, that implementation and the absence of capacity has been an area that we need to improve upon. And it is an area that we need to consider in the implementation of this bill. It is expected, Mr. Speaker, that developed countries will stop hesitating on the promise to provide 100 billion US dollars annually for climate change to develop in countries and hopefully will fulfill that promise. Maybe COP 29 will be the breakthrough moment. I think COP 29 will be taking place in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 24, 2024. I'm hoping that they are going to be a serious breakthrough for that. Equally important, Mr. Speaker, is that we stand prepared to ensure that we can maximize the utilization of potential funds for climate change. Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to belong. And as I take my brief intervention to its logical conclusion, I would like to say again, I give my full support to the climate change bill as it provides a governance structure for the government to effectively manage and deal with all issues relating to climate change from an international, regional and national perspective. Mr. Speaker, I commend the bill and I commend the minister. I thank you for granting me leave.